Let's face it: Your dream of getting older doesn't involve living in a nursing home. No, you want to remain independent for as long as possible, even if you suffer from ailments like diabetes and arthritis. Independent senior apartments, such as The Courtyards at River Park, are often part of a larger community that offers increased care and assisted living if you ever need it and are increasingly a good choice for relatively healthy seniors.
But if you are one of the 67 million adults in the U.S. who suffers from arthritis, you might have concerns about living independently with your disease. While you might be managing it well now, you know that arthritis is the leading cause of disability and can limit activities as much or more than heart disease or cancer.
So, to stay healthy and functioning in an independent senior apartment, you might need to make a few tweaks (if they aren't already in place) to help you function with minimal pain and frustration.
1. Door knobs.
You have to be able to open and close your doors! Ditch the round door knobs and replace them with lever handles. If you have to, you can operate them by pushing down with your forearm or elbow. If you don't want to swap out your round knobs, you can even purchase lever handles that fit over traditional knobs.
While you're at it, switch out any knob-type of pulls on cabinets and drawers in the apartment. Use handles or "T" shaped knobs that you can slip a straight finger or a pencil behind to open.
2. Toilet seats.
For people with arthritic knees, bending down to sit on the toilet can hurt. No problem; just invest in a raised toilet seat. You'll have an easier time using the toilet when you don't have to bend down as far. Too hard to get seated? Try a toilet seat with arms -- yes, they do exist -- or have bars installed around the toilet that you can grasp to more easily get up and down.
You'll also want to look for a long cleaning brush with a large grip that's easy to use for cleaning the seat and toilet.
3. Television remote.
You'll probably want to have TV as an option for those rainy days when there's not much going on. A typical remote, though, can be hard for arthritic hands to use. Buy a big button remote so you can more easily turn on, change channels and operate a DVD player or other peripheral equipment.
Need help making these adjustments? Often, senior apartment communities have an on-site handyman who can assist with personal fixes for a small hourly fee. Talk to your administration office for more information.
Share22 January 2015
Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.
